Carmen Sandiego: A Retrospective
by redhatladyfan
Summary: Carmen has denounced her ranking as a double agent with the U.S and Monaco for a life of crime. ACME Detective Agency has been assigned to bring her to justice. This fanfic is set in the mid-80s.
1. Chapter 1 Who she used to be

HUGE Author Note: Ok, let's get into the Chronoskimmer. This fanfic will revolve around the parameters set forth from the Where in the World is CS and Where in the U.S.A is CS computer games from the 80s. When Carmen was first introduced she was an ex-double agent who worked for the U.S and Monaco. She would fly, drive or take a train to get to her destinations; this meant no extra security at the airports or in other countries. So this is what I am going to use, meaning no fancy cars, gadgets or C-5.

I remember this dossier from the U.S.A game that paints (to me) a completely different picture of Carmen.

Name: Carmen Sandiego

Favorite Hobby: Gambling (BINGO)

Favorite Music: Classical

Favorite Sport: Basketball

For her henchmen I am going to use the ones from the Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego game NOT game show. I will use the Chief (her likeness) from the WITWICS game show and a much older Zack and Ivy from WOEICS.

Usual Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Carmen Sandiego, Zack or Ivy. They are owned by whoever owns Cookie Jar (WOEICS), The Chief character (WITWICS) I believe is still the property of WQED, the henchmen from Where in Time is CS game is property of the Learning Company (Carmen Sandiego franchise), as well as other mentioned titles. I do own the concept that this reading will present and the minor characters

And NO I am not some old foogy. I just have had the privilege to have played her games from way back, tho I only remember a few things. Let's begin.

Rated T for the glamorization of gambling, smoking and drinking but not in heavy doses.

(In a casino)

8 people were gathered around a poker table. Red, white and blue chips were scattered in the middle. Carmen was seated on the far right. After the dealer was finished dealing out cards everyone picked them up to have a look. She had a good hand, but her expression was stoic making it hard for the other players to read her face or what they could see of it, since her hat brim cast a shadow to the bridge of her nose. 3 people folded, leaving 4 plus her left. Her eyes roamed around looking at each person's face. A couple had tell-tales signs, and the rest were harder to read. She then looked at their body language for other clues.

"Ah-ha" she thought as one person shifted his weight thinking about what he should do to make his hand better. The second one just scratched her face and yawned.

"Hmm..that one could be my competition" she said looking back at her hand.

The dealer asked if anyone needed to exchange cards. 3 people did, but she and the other woman didn't.

"She IS my competition" Carmen thought watching the other 3 shuffle their hands, as if that would magically change the suits and denominations.

The dealer looks at the woman to see if she wants to check or call.

"$400" calls the woman and threw in her chips.

The other 3 folded.

"I'll see your $400 and raise you $600" raises Carmen in a cool tone, tossing in her chips.

"Sounds like someone is cocky enough to put all her faith on her first hand. I hope it's a good one" she said slyly smiling at Carmen.

"Of course it is. That's why I'M the best" Carmen said.

The woman turned over her cards to reveal a straight from 10, 9, 8, 7, and 6.

"Ooh, that is a very good hand indeed, but you see mine is better" said Carmen turning over her cards to reveal 4 aces and a joker, making her the winner.

"Winner" the dealer calls out and moves the chips towards Carmen.

She arranges them in the poker chip tray, tips her hat out of gratitude and walks towards the cashier's cage. The woman just glared at Carmen watching the mysterious woman in a red trench coat and hat walk away with her money.

"Good evening. I would like to cash out" she said putting the tray on the table. The cashier was counting the chips when Carmen thought she saw someone with red hair walk by. She quickly turned around but didn't seem anyone that fit the description, just tourists having fun. The cashier was finished exchanging the chips for paper money and counted it back.

"Thank You" she said and walked towards the exit to leave.

The air was cool and the stars were visible that late night in autumn. She walked down the hard stairs looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was following her. She had to be cautious because people saw her win a good amount of money and some would be desperate enough to try and take it from her. She safely made it to her car that was deliberately parked in a well lit area, got in and locked the door. She reached to the back seat and grabbed a brief case. Opening it up she put in her night's winnings and spun the combination locks. She then put it back underneath the back seat so that it slid into a specially made nook.

Turning on the car she revved up the engine, looked behind her to see if anyone was there and pulled out of the parking lot. Driving down the street she looked in the rearview mirror and didn't see any headlights behind her, but she knew that didn't mean anything. ACME is pretty sneaky when it comes to following people.


	2. Chapter 2 The Loot

Author Note: Food for Thought - Did you know that Interpol and ACME Detective Agency are real?

Carmen pulled into an alleyway and parker her car. There was a parked car along side of a hotel. 3 heavyset men dressed in suits got out then Carmen got out.

"Ca Va Carmen" A man said and stuck out his hand for a handshake. He appeared to be the leader of the other two, as they just stood back waiting for orders.

"Ca va bien, et toi Gaspard?" Carmen said and shook his hand, but he didn't let go.

"Ca Va. What a beautiful night and may I add I am honored to spend a slice of it with such a beautiful lady" he said and kissed the back of her hand.

"And I am honored to spend time with a gentleman, such as yourself" she said and winked back.

This was just a type of formality, as neither party had any real interest in each other.

"Ok, let's get down to business. Do you have the folded paper?"

"Of course, it's in the birds nest" Carmen said and handed him the keys to the car.

The man took the keys and gestured for his associated to look it over. Carmen and Gaspard both waited for them to finish searching the car any other devices.

"It's clean boss" one man said.

"The folded paper is ready to fly" the other man said closing the back car door. He had the case in his hand and put it in the other car.

Gaspard went back to his car and took out an oversized purse. He walked over to Carmen.

"I love Monte Carlo nights don't you" he said looking at the stars then gave her the keys and purse.

"It can be intoxicating if one isn't careful, as to not drink it in all in one dose" she said with a sly smile.

"Salut" Gaspard bowed and got in his car.

She got in her car and drove towards the hotel, which wasn't far from where she was. The hotel was a welcome sight. She was tired from being in the casino to raise the remaining amount of funds. Inside the hotel was quiet, since many of its occupants were having a night on the town. Only the concierge was at the front desk. She smiled at him, as she passed to walk up the stairs. She went to her room, locked the door and took off her shoes.

She rummaged through the minibar and found a small bottle of brandy. She carefully unscrewed the lid and took a sip. Sitting on the bed she took out the purse contents. It had carefully folded blueprints of a museum's floor plans, electrical and air duct specs and some certificates of authenticity.

(ACME HQ – SF – A week later)

The chief was sitting at her desk drinking horrible tasting coffee. The expression on her face after she took a sip said enough, but it was the only brand that fit the budget. She was looking through last month's statements about what happened on the Carmen Sandiego case. She shook her head.

"Ivy! Zack! Get in here!" she shouted.

A young woman with red hair came in followed by a young man with blonde hair. They appeared to be in their mid to late twenties.

"You wanted to see us Chief?" Ivy asked.

"Let me ask you a question. How can you be so close, soo close, but not close enough to catch Carmen Sandiego?" the Chief asked glaring at them.

"Well, you see. She's tricky. We were chasing her at high speeds in the boat, but she created a wave that made us capsize" as soon as the last word his lips he immediately regretted it.

"You mean to tell me that the boat flipped over?" the Chief said standing up.

"Yes" they said in unison.

"How come that's not in the report?" Zack was about to answer when an angry Chief continued "Do you know how much that cost? It's the reason why I am stuck drinking this slop" she held up her coffee mug.

The phone rang, which relived Zack and Ivy, until the Chief said "Don't leave I'm not finished with you" she picked up the receiver and answered still looking at them.

"Hello?...She did what?...When?...Ok we're on it" she hung up the receiver. "That was Interpol; the latest is that Carmen has stolen the Gold Mask of King Tut from the Cairo Museum. Now, listen to me (she pointed her finger at them) I don't want any mix ups this time. Our funding is paper thin as it is. If we don't make any progress this program may be cut all together you got that?"

Both detectives nodded and walked out of the office. They could hear the Chief talking to herself, as they walked down the hallway. "That woman has been a pain in my behind ever since she…"

"Man the Chief was sure mad about the boat" Zack said

"I know if she would have let us explain why we didn't put in the report. It's been fixed..kinda. I'll call and see what flight is available" Ivy said walking into their small office. Zack was looking through some old books when Ivy said "We have a flight in 3 hours. Let's meet at the airport in an hour."

They went to their apartments to change and prepare for the long trip. Ivy was the first to arrive wearing her backpack and waited for Zack by the front entrance. Finally Zack arrived and had a duffle bag swung over his shoulder.

"Why so much?" Ivy asked pointing to the bag.

"I just want to be prepared. You never know when a fine girl will be looking at me" he said and smiled.

"Oh please, no one is going to be looking at you" Ivy teased.

They headed for their gate and moaned at the long line.

"Glad we got here early" Zack said dropping his duffle bag.

The inched towards the counter and talked about the case. They finally arrived, gave their names and paid for the tickets. Then they headed for their assigned gate to wait for their departure to LAX, then on to Cairo.


	3. Chapter 3 King Tut or Bust?

Author Note: I do know it is possible to go out after being on a plane for hours and hours. It's a good way to stave off jet lag.

(Cairo Egypt – 18 hours later)

Ivy and Zack arrived at the Cairo International Airport exhausted from the long plane ride.

"Do you still think girls are gonna still look at you with your hair sticking up like that?" a weary Ivy teased.

"Of course" said a red-eyed Zack who gave his sister a tired smile.

They made their way to the exit and found a cab to take them to the ACME approved hostel. They arrived, paid the cabby, and checked in.

"We better call the Chief to let her know we've arrived" said Ivy who would rather put it off but she knew that duty came before rest.

"Oh man..oh..alright" said Zack getting up after he just laid down.

"Chief I wanted to let you know that we've arrived in Cairo" said Ivy looking at Zack.

"Glad to hear it. I hope you got some sleep on the airplane because I want you to go to the museum. I will call them and let them know to expect you two. Remember we are on a very tight deadline and catching Carmen Sandiego is our main priority" the Chief said and hung up the phone.

"Well..what'd she say?" asked Zack, who knew the answer but hoped it wasn't what he was thinking.

"We gotta head to the museum" Ivy said in a tired tone.

"I knew it" he said and walked back to the room to take out his toiletries to freshen up.

Ivy did the same and both had to admit that feeling clean did wake them up, a little bit.

They arrived at the museum and saw a group of young American tourists hanging outside of the entrance. Ivy and Zack approached the door. A young man walked up to Ivy. He was well-built and was wearing a muscle shirt.

"Hi" he said in a cool tone. Ivy could tell by his swagger and tone that he was full of himself.

"Hello" she said back and walked passed him.

He looked at her and couldn't believe that a girl would dismiss him like that because it's never happened before. Zack saw a couple of girls in the group and puffed out his broad chest and ran his fingers through his hair. They exchanged looks and Zack started to walk towards them when Ivy pulled him back.

"Remember why we're here. Put your hormones on hold until we catch Carmen Sandiego" said an irritated Ivy.

Zack sighed "I'm never going to get any action. I'll be chasing Carmen for the rest of my life."

Ivy laughed at him and they entered the museum to find the curator. They walked through the halls and found one that was blocked off by tape. They went under the tape and saw a security guard and a man walking towards them.

Before they had time to say anything Ivy said "It's ok we are with ACME Detective Agency"

"Ah yes, the Chief told me to be expecting you two (he shook their hands) My name is Maahes Ammon . I am the curator."

"Tell us what you know" said Zack taking his notebook and pen from his back pocket. He noticed that the curator had a subtle English accent.

"Well, the night guard called me in a panic to tell me that King Tut's Gold Mask was gone. At first I thought he was joking but he was very adamant about his statement, so I came over and saw he was telling the truth. She must have a hard time hauling it around. It's made from 20 lbs of solid gold."

"What made you think it was Carmen Sandiego?" asked Ivy.

"Interpol didn't find any evidence of forced entry, no fingerprints and the scene was very clean. It was like she knew who to bypass all the security measurements. The only thing they found was this, which speaks for itself" he handed Ivy a card.

Ivy examined it and noticed a red fedora in the upper right hand corner and the world symbol on the left. It was Carmen's former business card from when she used to be a detective for hire.

"Yup, it's Carmen's calling card alright" Ivy sighed and looked at Zack.

"Thank you for your assistance. We'll be in touch" Zack said and shook the Curator and Guard's hands. They left.

"What now sis?"

"Talk to the locals to see if they know or seen anyone suspicious" Ivy said and walked down the hallway.

"Well we do know that she got away with a 20 lb bust of King Tut. Someone has got to know something."

They stepped out of the museum and went to a nearby small bazaar. There were merchants selling tourist items, fresh produce/meat and clothing. Ivy questioned the shop owners and Zack translated. They were not having much luck until they came to the last store that sold many odd looking items. It gave them both a weird feeling. Ivy approached the shopkeeper.

"Hello. I understand you are looking for some information on the stolen King Tut bust?" he said.

Ivy and Zack were surprised at how clear his English pronunciation was.

"How do you know what we were looking for?" asked Zack suspiciously.

"My dear boy. This is a small bazaar. News travels fast and there is something about you two. You are here for a purpose not for fun like the others (He pointed to the group that was by the museum entrance. They were laughing and having a good time by a food vendor)."

"What can you tell us?"said Ivy.

"My you certainly are the all work and no play type aren't you? Well, I do know that there she has four henchmen working with her. Two pairs and she went to different locations. Think of it like a game of Russian Roulette. Only one person holds the bullet, or in this case the Tut."

"So only one person has it?" asked Zack trying to figure out why Carmen would use so many henchmen if only one person is carrying it.

"Can you tell us anything else?" inquired Ivy.

"Yes, two of them came to my store. One of them was a man who had eyes the color of the Mediterranean. The other was a woman who had hair that reminded me of carrots. They kept asking me how to pronounce the word _Kozonom_. The woman kept talking about two empires that were united into one. She wanted to water-ski on the Danube River that runs between them. I advised her not to."

"Thank you very much" said Zack.

The shopkeeper smiled at them then said "Please, take a sample of my wares. (He gave them each a container.) It contains Egyptian Tea, as you know a highly sought after herbal remedy."

Ivy and Zack thanked him again and left.

"What a nice man" said Ivy and opened up the container to smell its contents.

They caught a cab back to the hostel and went over what they found out. Zack took out his notebook.

"Well we know that two of Carmen's henchmen stopped by that man's shop. A man with blue eyes and a woman with red hair."

Ivy took out an ACME issued trapperkeeper from her backpack and flipped through its folders.

"Hmm.. There are two henchmen with Blue eyes, Justin Case and Ernest Endeavor. And there are two henchwomen with Red hair, Sybil Servant and Sharon Sharalike, but this doesn't give us much information. We know there are four possible suspects but we still have to find out who the other two are."

"Can we get some sleep before we head out?" asked Zack who was yawning and had already laid down.

"Sure little bro. I could use some shuteye too"

(A few hours later – hostel)

Ivy was trying to shake Zack awake; as it was time they left. He finally woke up.

"Get up Zack. We need to leave. If the Chief found out that we were sleeping she'd have a fit."

"What else would be new?" and as Zack said this he turned around and swore he could feel the Chief glaring at him for making such a remark.

They freshened up, signed the bill and took at cab to the airport.

(Cairo International Airport)

Ivy and Zack looked through the many screens that displayed flights and flight times. They found a flight that was leaving in a couple of hours, so they headed towards that counter.

"Hello. How may I help you?" asked the nice ticket counter clerk.

Author Note: You pronounce _Kozonom_ (KEH-seh-nehm). It means Thank You.


	4. Chapter 4 The Warrant, well half

(Undisclosed Location – Small Back Room)

Carmen was sitting in a smoke filled room playing cards with Gaspard and his henchmen. On her right was Gaspard and on her left was his top henchwoman Renee. There were 5 other of his henchmen playing. They didn't like to play in the domestic currency, as a precaution. Gaspard raised the pot by $5,000. It was already at $150,000.

"Too rich for my blood" one henchmen said and folded, while the other one just tossed the cards down. He was the kind who didn't say much, but his actions always spoke for him.

The other 3 tossed in their money then Gaspard looked at Renee who answered by tossing in her money. He then looked at Carmen. She took the cigarette out of her mouth and tapped the ashes off the end. They fell into the ashtray. She looked at her hand, it wasn't a bad hand. She had a A, K, Q, J and 10 all of the hearts suit but she knew Gaspard always had some trick up his sleeve; however her instincts told her that he was merely bluffing.

"Tell me Carmen. How is everything going with those ACME detectives?" he asked. Carmen knew this was just a way to break her concentration.

"They are right where I want them" she said without as much as moving a muscle in her stoic face.

"Ah, tres bien. Now are you in?" he asked a bit more sternly.

She raised her head a little higher to look at him with both eyes. "Oui" she said smiling and tossed in her money without taking her eyes off him.

"Call" he said and turned over his cards revealing a simple straight flush. The other henchmen had two or three pairs. Renee had a four pairs, which wasn't enough to beat Carmen's hand.

Gaspard laughed when he saw Carmen's hand. He knew better than to try and intimidate her, but he just couldn't help himself.

"It appears that working for the Monaco secret service has paid off" he said.

"One doesn't work in one of the gambling capitals of the world without learning a thing or two" she said and got up to put the money tie up the money into small bundles for transportation.

"Why don't you stay awhile? We can reminisce about the good ol' days when you were assigned to put an end to my crime organization" he laughed, as it didn't stop him since he didn't serve that much time, due to lack of evidence thanks to Carmen.

He rescued her from getting rapped by a rival crime boss and his henchmen. They set her up by befriending her and giving her false information. Then they stripped her and tied her down. Gaspard was the only one that came to her rescue, even though she sent distress signals to her local U.S. and Monaco partners but they ignored her call for help as they saw her as a mere scapegoat. She was viewed as hired help because she didn't "officially" work for either entity. He intercepted the signal and came to her rescue with guns blazing. He lived his life by the saying from a great man he admired Sun Tzu "Keep your friends close but your enemies closer" so he made it a point to always leave clues for his pursuers so he would know their location and calculate how long it would take for them to decipher the clue and reach his destination.

(Budapest Ferihegy International Airport)

Ivy and Zack were both tired and needed to get some sleep for risk of falling asleep on their feet. A few hours of sleep didn't do much to fight the jet lag that had caught up with them.

"I hope the Chief will let us rest" said Zack yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"Don't sweat it little bro. I'll try and talk her into letting us have some shut eye time" said Ivy, but knew it was a slim possibility.

Ivy and Zack shuffled to the airport entrance to look for a cab to take them to the ACME approved hostel. When they arrived they were happy to see the small building. They paid the cabby and checked in.

"We should get it over with Zack" Ivy said watching Zack start to walk up the stairs.

"She's just going to tell us to find out where they went and blah,blah, blah" he said throwing down his duffle bag.

Ivy dialed the Chief's nontraceable phone number "Hi Chief, it's Ivy. We tracked down Carmen's henchmen to Budapest. We're here now."

"Good job. I got word from Interpol that she is using 4 henchmen plus herself in this caper."

"That's right. We've currently narrowed on pair down to four suspects; however, we don't know who the other two are..yet."

"You've narrowed it down to four henchmen, but don't know who the other two are?"

Ivy could tell by the Chief's tone that this bothered her. She didn't care for indecisiveness. "Yes, you see two of them visited a bazaar stand, but the shopkeeper could only remember their gender, eye and hair colors" Ivy said quickly.

"I see…I want you to.."

Ivy interrupted the Chief, which she knew is a fatal move but it was necessary for her and Zack's health. "Chief, I was wondering if Zack and I take the rest of today off to rest but we'll start early tomorrow morning. We promise."

Zack looked at his sister to prepare himself for when Ivy pulls the receiver away from her ear when the Chief yells at her.

A long pause went by "Ok…ok, you can but I want you two to be hot on the trail tomorrow morning. Got it?"

"Yes, thank you Chief" Ivy said and hung up the phone. Zack sighed in relief.

"If we're gonna get up at the crack of dawn. Then we need to get something to eat and get to sleep" said Zack.

(Early next morning)

Both of them woke up feeling a bit groggy but much better. They did their morning routines and sat down to eat breakfast.

"Where should we look first?" mumbled Zack, whose mouth was full of muffin.

"Gross, you'd think as old as you are you'd stop talking with your mouth full."

He swallowed and said "Old habits die hard sis."

"Hmm, the shop keeper did mention that the female wanted to go waterskiing on the Danube. I am thinking our best bet would to go to a busy tourist area like Buda Castle and talk to some vendors.

They finished breakfast and made their way to Buda Castle. Walking around the area they asked many vendors if they encountered anyone suspicious. They weren't having any luck. Ivy saw a group of Hungarian teens and they walked over to them hoping that they saw some unusual people. Zack did the talking, since he knew the language.

"Hello. I am wondering if you've seen any people that look or have been acting oddly?"asked Zack.

One of the girls giggled because she's never seen a cute American boy before and said "Yes, I saw a man and a woman fighting over who should be responsible for carrying the heavy bag. There was a lot of pushing and shoving. I was afraid the police would have to be called to break them up, but they stopped. The woman said that if he were anything of a gentleman he would carry the bag."

"Did they say anything else?" asked Ivy who saw that the girl understood English.

She thought for a minute "Um..they did mention going to a place called CalFra to meet the others and board a train in three days. The man told the woman that their two other friends called while she was out shopping and were stopping over in a place to play four square in a Red Square."

Zack and Ivy just looked at each other.

"I was close enough to notice that the woman had eyes the color of slate and the man had ebony hair. Oh, and I could see into the bag. Whatever it was, it was made out of...like gold."

They thanked the girl, but not before she asked to take a walk around Buda Castle while she hung onto Zack's arm.

"CalFra? I don't think that's an actual place and to board a train with the others? And to play four square in a Red Square and what about Carmen?" thought Ivy. She took off her backpack and took out her trapper keeper to look at dossiers.

"Woman with red hair and gray eyes, of course Sybil Servant and a man with blue eyes and black hair. Yes, Justin Case."

Zack returned with a smile on his face.

"How was the walk?"

"It was…(his eye looked up at the sky, which was his telltale sign that something good happened)..nice."

"Yeah, I bet" Ivy said.

"Come on Iv, I don't have to tell you everything."

"True, and besides, I don't even wanna know. I found who we're trailing Sybil Servant and Justin Case, which leaves us with the other two and Carmen."

"Why don't we just find out where CalFra is and wait for them?"

"Because, remember when we did the false warrant and how mad the Chief got when the real crook got away. ACME almost lost its detective accreditation."

"Oh, I totally forgot about that."

Ivy thought "How can anyone forget about that?"

They went back to the hostel and called the Chief to report.

"Chief, Hi it's Zack" what had happened at Buda Castle gave him the confidence to give her the report about their progress "Good news we found out who the two henchmen are, Sybil Servant and Justin Case and where we can find the second pair. Also, they will meet in a place called CalFra in three days to catch a train. We can catch them there, but we'll need backup and warrants. The bad news is that we haven't heard anything about Carmen."

"It's a start. I want you to leave right away. I will prepare the warrants for Sybil Servant and Justin Case and as soon as you find out who the other two are call me. I will the warrants with the backup."

"You got it Chief" Zack hung up the phone and turned to his sister "Let's go."


	5. Chapter 5 The Warrant, the rest

(Sheremetyevo International Airport – Outside of Moscow, USSR)

Zack and Ivy walked out the plane terminal, each was listening to their walkmans. Ivy was listening to the J. Gelis Band, while Zack was doing his best not to air guitar Highway to Hell by ACDC. Ivy looked over at him and saw his right hand fingers strumming the duffle bag straps that hung over his shoulder. She smiled to herself. They changed their US dollars for Soviet rubles and caught a bus that was going into town, since the airport was 25 miles from the hostel.

"Hi Chief, we've arrive in Moscow" said Ivy.

"Wonderful..and I want you to know that I'm glad you two are getting around safely. You both are doing ACME a great service."

"Thanks, we're gonna grab something to eat. Then we'll start investigating."

"Alright, call me immediately when you find out who the other two henchmen are. I will send backup to meet you at your next location."

"Got it Chief."

The Chief hung up the receiver and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She slowly got out of bed. It was too early in the morning for her, but it was her duty to take calls whenever detectives were internationally on a case, especially when it came to trailing Carmen Sandiego. Whose idea was it to route these calls to her home phone when it was after office hours? Oh right, it was hers.

Zack and Ivy found a small outside restaurant and each ordered Pirozhki. Zack got one filled with mushroom, meat, rice and onion. Ivy's was filled with rice, boiled eggs and chopped dill. They both drank down eat bite with Kvass.

"We're at the Red Square. Where do you suppose we start?" asked Zack between bites.

"No clue little bro" said Ivy, who looked around.

After they finished Ivy opened up her backpack and took out the ACME World Travel Guide, since neither of them have been to Moscow. It was more like a condensed encyclopedia that had facts on countries all over the world, and some of their history. She opened up the section to USSR and saw a couple of paragraphs about the Red Square.

"The Red Square separates the Kremlin from the President of the USSR's home."

"Oh, you mean, like the White House?"

"Exactly, the Red Square does not get its name from the bricks that surround it or from the current political regime, but from the word Krasnaya, meaning beautiful. This term is often used to describe St. Basil's Cathedral, which sits near the square."

"So what else is around the square?"

Ivy skims down to the second paragraph "Ah, here we go, Lenin's Mausoleum, State Department Store, State Historical Museum or St. Basil's Cathedral to name a few. Where do you want to start?"

"I'd say…(Zack shrugged his shoulders) whichever one is closer to us and we'll circle back" he motioned with his hands.

Ivy put the encyclopedia in her backpack and they walked across the street into St. Basil's Cathedral. They came out with no leads and figured they would have better luck in the huge State Department Store. They found themselves on the second floor when Zack suddenly froze in the middle of the walkway causing some people to almost crash into him.

"Ivy" he whispered "Look, but don't look in that jewelry store. Isn't that Minnie Series?"

Zack walked to the railing pretending to through his sis' backpack, while Ivy stood near the store window acting like she's checking her makeup. It was Minnie Series, and she was with an exhausted looking Earl E. Bird who carrying 6 shopping bags. Ivy closed her compact and quickly walked over to Zack.

"It's her alright and she's with Earl E. Bird."

"No way, but how are we going to confirm that they're the pair we're looking for?"

Just then the store door opened and Zack and Ivy quickly turned the other way. Minnie Series walked out and stood right behind them. Earl followed.

"I need to find the perfect outfits to go with these necklaces and a few for the train ride. One that I can wear when we leave France and for when we arrive in Venice. Then a couple more for when I feel like changing. Never know when a fan might recognize me."

Zack and Ivy just stood there holding onto the railing.

"We passed a nice little boutique on the first floor. Let's go back there and look around again."

"Uh..sure Minnie, but we don't have much time you know. Carmen wants us at the France safe house by tomorrow evening to begin the second part of the plan."

"Oh, pish posh, Earl. We have plenty of time. Come on" Minnie pulled on Earl's arm. He groaned and adjusted the bags in his sore hands.

Ivy and Zack relaxed.

"Boy that was close" said Zack.

"You can say that again. At least we know who our second pair is and where they're going to meet Carmen."

"And we know more about the train route from France to Venice, so..CalFra is something France. Hey, maybe, Cal is the first part of a city name, like how Fra was the first part of France."

"You're onto something little bro." Ivy takes out the guide book and turns to France. "Hmm..wait a minute..Minnie said that they are boarding a train that runs from France to Venice. Well, there is an Orient Express that runs this route and it leaves from Calais, France" Ivy said in excitement.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get back to the hostel and call the Chief" said Zack, who was already walking towards the stairs.

(Caveau des Oubliettes – Paris, France – Almost midnight)

Carmen was sitting at a table near the side wall listening to a nice rendition of A Night in Tunsia. She was waiting for Gaspard to arrive, but it seemed he was running late. A man came over to her and asked if she wanted to dance. She took his hand and they twirled around the small dance floor. Once the song had ended the crowd clapped for the dancing couples. She saw Gaspard sitting at the table smoking a cigar. He had ordered two glasses of red wine.

"Bonsoir" she said, sat down and took a sip of her wine.

"Bonsoir" he said. "I don't think I've ever told you...Tu danses tres bien."

"Merci" she smiled and raised her goblet in a toast.

"A votre sante" they said, clinked glasses and took a drink.

He sat back in the chair and said "Tell me, how is your job going?"

"Very well." She set down her glass "Everything is going like clockwork. Those certificates of authenticities have really helped my employees to travel without being overly harassed during customs checks, as you know many countries now follow the UNESCO import and export laws for artifacts." She leaned over the small table, which signaled Gaspard to lean in. "A couple of my henchmen have had a run in. He had to persuade the customs agent to take a chip off the base, instead of the face. You know, to not ruin the piece. I'm glad he didn't have the original. That wouldn't have reflected well on my organization, even though it was the fake."

Gaspard let out a hearty laugh "No, it wouldn't. Remember to always stay one step ahead of your adversaries, whether they be those detectives or the local authorities." He made a horizontal gesture with his hand and then put his cigar in his mouth. Carmen nodded. A song had ended and the band was getting ready to start another piece. The man who asked Carmen to dance before came back and asked if he could have another dance. He looked at Gaspard who gave his approval. The band began with a song by Duke Ellington called Satin Doll.


	6. Chapter 6 The Crooks

(Moscow – Hostel)

"Chief we found out who the other two henchmen are, Minnie Series and Earl E. Bird. They're gonna meet Sybil Servant, Justin Case and Carmen at a French safe house; however, they didn't specify a location. We do know that they're going to board the Orient Express, which runs from Calais, France to Venice, Italy in a couple of days" Ivy said playing with the phone cord.

"Excellent, I'll prepare their warrants and send them with your back up. Call me with your arrival time to Venice and which train station. I will relay this information to Interpol and have them meet you. We can catch Carmen and her gang of heinous henchmen there."

"Gotcha Chief. We're going to stay the night then move onto the Calais hostel tomorrow. By the way, who is our backup?"

"Steve and April, keep in touch and good work gumshoes." The Chief hung up.

Ivy turned to Zack, "We got the day off little bro and tomorrow we'll head to France."

"Alright, now I can hit the local hotspots."

"Did you bring dad's old Sergeant First Class Army jacket to impress the ladies with?" Ivy teased.

"Oh yeah, like you were in the height of fashion yourself, always wearing a sit harness. You rarely did any rock-climbing" Zack said sarcastically.

(VILE safe House, France)

Carmen was looking over the layout of the train and was listing the henchmen cabin proximities to hers.

"This chase is going to be in very tight quarters and everyone needs to stick to the plan, or get caught" she thought, twirling a pen in her right hand.

Carmen got up and looked outside. It was a warm afternoon with a few clouds in the sky. Her henchmen will be arriving sometime today, and the housemaid knew what questions to ask when someone came to the door. She was familiar with her boss' occupation, because she was referred by Gaspard.

(Calais Ville Train Station - Calais, France)

Zack and Ivy arrived at the train station feeling a bit exhausted from taking the 3 hour train ride from Paris. They looked at train schedule board for the Orient Express times. To their surprise only one was scheduled to leave, tomorrow at 10 am and will arrive in Venice at 1 pm at the Venice-Santa Lucia Train Station.

"Zack this can't be anymore perfect" Ivy said smiling.

"Let's hope they have tickets left."

Ivy and Zack got in the Purchase Tickets line. They looked around and saw people walking along the platform for a commute, while others dragged their heavy suitcases behind them for a long trip. The line moved and Ivy stepped up to the counter.

"Hello. I would like 4 tickets for the Orient Express tomorrow."

"Oui." The ticket administrator said and calculated the cost.

Ivy took out the ACME credit card, as the cost was much more than she had. He printed the tickets and handed them to her, along with an information brochure.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm going on the Orient Express" Zack said flipping through the brochure. "This train has been more romanticized than any other train. Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express in 1934. There was even a movie made of the same title that was adapted from the book. I, even, remember watching a cartoon that had an episode where the criminal was challenged to do a low-tech crime and chose to steal the Orient Express."

Ivy took the brochure from his hands. She looked at the pictures. "Mmmm, I think we may need to get some new clothes. This is a very classy train and if we go aboard in our usual attire, we're gonna stick out like sore thumbs."

They found a shopping plaza and browsed through the shops for acceptable clothing. A few hours later they finished and headed back to the hostel to prepare for their departure. When they walked in the door they were greeted by April and Steve.

"Steve! April! Long time no see" Ivy said and gave them each a hug. Zack hung back, as he has never worked with either of them and felt a bit shy.

"Steve, April I want to introduce you to my brother, Zack." Zack shook both of their hands and exchanged greetings. They walked upstairs to their room. It was in the late afternoon, so no one was around to hear the private conversation. Ivy looked down the hallway to see if anyone was coming, there was no one, she closed the door.

"We know that Carmen and her henchmen are going to take the Orient Express to Venice. We've already bought the tickets. It leaves tomorrow at 10 am and will arrive at 1pm. We need to be on board as early as we can, so that they won't see us. The last thing we need are panicked henchmen and a broken King Tut bust" Ivy said.

Ivy opened up her shopping bags and took out the clothes she bought. She handed a couple of outfits to April.

"I bought these for you. I know they'll fit, cause, well, we're the same size."

"Thanks Iv. Who would have guessed it? Us back on a case together, just like old times."

Zack handed two outfits to Steve.

"I hope they fit, man."

"Thanks Zack" Steve said and stood up to size them against himself. They seemed like they would fit.

"What are we going to do? I mean, we just can't arrest the henchmen on the train. People will freak out" April said rearranging her travel bag.

"That's true" Steve said.

"The Chief has notified Interpol and they will meet us in Venice. All we need to do is keep an eye on them and when we arrive arrest them when they step off the train."

"That reminds me" said Steve who reached into his backpack and took out an ACME sealed letter size envelope and handed it to Ivy. "Here are the warrants."

"Great" Ivy said, opening it up and looking them over.

Ivy opened the door. Steve and April freshened up and all four detectives left to find something to eat.

(Evening - VILE safe House, France)

All four henchmen were assembled in the den sitting comfortably on the plush chairs and couch. Carmen walked in with large piece of paper and tacked it to a corkboard.

"This is a layout of the train, as you can see I've marked each of your cabins. I have purchased some extras. They are here, here and here." She pointed to each cabin then at hers. "Here is mine, because we will be in closed areas, I want you all to follow the plan. Remember any deviation will result in your capture. I have already sent the Tuts to the train station for tomorrow's departure. Any questions?"

Justin Case looked at his colleagues then raised his hand.

"Yes?" Carmen said, putting her hands behind her back.

"So, say we all arrive at Venice, uncaught. What next?"

"We'll depart the train in midst of the passenger chaos. I'm having a runner pick up the packages. This person doesn't know what's in them, so if anything were to happen nothing will befall them. Now, get something to eat and some rest."


	7. Chapter 7 The Chase

(Venice Simplon-Orient-Express)

The platform was already busy with activity when the detectives arrived. Packages were being loaded into the freight cars. Porters were carrying items in and out to prepare for the luxury 2 day trip. The gumshoes approached the Ticket Master.

"Good Morning" he said and bowed.

"Good Morning. " Ivy said, nodding her head in acknowledgement. "May we come aboard?"

"Certainly, Madam." He extended his hand for the tickets. He looked the over, punched the departure squares, raised his hand in the air and snapped his fingers twice. Two Porters that were stacking parcels came over. They bowed at the detectives and listened to the Ticket Master who gave them instructions.

The detectives followed their guides to a sleeping car. Upon entering all four were awestruck. The craftsmanship that went into the train's construction was that of complete elegance. Their feet sunk into the plush gray carpet that lined the mini hallway. Near to the middle of the hallway a Porter took a key and opened the wooden door. It was marked with the Orient Express seal like that on the side of the train.

"Here we are Ladies" he said, waited for them to walk in then he entered.

The second Porter walked to the next door and opened it.

"Gentlemen" he said, waited for them to walk in the he entered.

The cabins were identical. There was a small sofa near the wall, a bassinette in the corner and a table with a lamp on it. The Porters explained that there is no need to worry about making up the room for bedtime, as that is all done by the Cabin Stewards who wear red uniforms. Also, the lavatory is at the end and if they need any assistance or have a complaint to tell a Cabin Steward. The detectives tipped the Porters. Zack and Steve knocked on their partners' door.

"Oh man, Iv. This is certainly first class living" Zack said and sat down on the sofa. He took the lunch menu from the table and looked at it.

"Do you suppose Carmen and her henchmen have arrived?" asked Steve.

"I don't know" said Ivy who looked out the window. "I don't see them out there."

"Well, if we got on board early, it wouldn't surprise me if Carmen was already here" said April.

"Take at look at this lunch menu, very exquisite." Zack was in seventh heaven, as he considered himself a foodie.

Ivy turned around. "At least our cabins are next to each other. Steve go tap on the wall. Let's see if we can establish some type of communication."

They waited by the sofa and, finally, heard knocking. He came back into the room.

"Well, did you hear anything?"

"Yes, this is perfect. We can communicate by Morse code."

(Carmen's cabin)

Carmen saw the detectives come aboard. She made a check mark in her pocket notebook. She decided not to wear her signature ensemble, to not arouse suspicion. Instead, she wore slacks, a short sleeved shirt, and blazer but couldn't deter from the stilettos. She went into empty cabin and lifted a suitcase onto the sofa and opened it. Inside laid the King Tut bust, or what appeared to be a replica for it had a souvenir certificate of authenticity underneath the base. She looked it over and found no knicks or cracks that would comprise the molding, making it split open. She smiled, closed it and gently set it onto the floor.

(Third Dining Car)

A few hours had passed and the train clickity-clacked along the tracks. Ivy watched the passing green scenery. April had her eyes closed, as she was getting used to the gently rocking movements. Knocking came from the wall. It was code for "How about lunch?" Ivy looked at April, who gave her thumbs up. Ivy knocked back a reply, "Ok". They exited the cabin and ventured towards the dining cars. Upon entering Zack carefully opened the door and peeked in. The dining car was more elegant than the rooms. White linens lined the tables, crystal glasses, shiny silverware and plush seats for all.

"I don't see anyone that resembles them" he said looking back. "I'm going to go peek inside the next one."

"Great idea, I'll go to the first one" Steve said.

"Ok, we'll take a back table and monitor whose coming and going" said April.

Ivy and April sat at a table for four. Zack and Steve returned looking grim and took their seats.

"They're not in the second car."

"Or the first."

"Where could they be?" asked Ivy, who began to look at the menu.

The waiter came over, took their drink orders and asked if they needed more time. They didn't and ordered.

"I don't know. I mean, they have to eat too" said Zack.

The food arrived and Zack couldn't stop himself from describing how each item on his place and his co-workers' was prepared.

(First Dining Car)

Taking off the silk scarf that was wrapped around her head and shoulders Carmen gently folded it up and put it in her purse. She was sitting with Justin Case, who was wearing a disguise. Sybil Servant and Earl E. Bird were incognito, as well. Minnie Series was eating in her cabin to avoid her throng of fans.

"I don't know boss. This seems very risk to me. I mean they're on board and the chances of us getting caught are high."

"Not if you stick with the plan" Carmen said taking a drink from her tumbler of Amaretto. She looked at her henchman.

"You're right boss…I shouldn't have doubted you" Justin said looking down like a scolded child.

Carmen smiled to herself and looked out the window.

(In the train)

The detectives finished their lunch and were now versed on how to prepare their meals; they decided to explore the train.

"Let's see if we can get into the freight car. I have a feeling that's where we'll find the Tut" said Zack.

They made their way back, passing sleeping car after sleeping car. Finally they came to the freight car door. Opening it slowly, Zack poked his head in.

"No one's in here."

There were packages of all sizes stacked on the floor and against the wall. Steve looked back and didn't see anyone coming. He motioned for them to enter.

"So, which ones are ours?" asked Ivy. She was already reading destination addresses.

"Not sure" Zack said and went to the back and began reading addresses.

April and Steve did the same. 15 minutes passed. Ivy checked the door, no one was coming.

"Here's something interesting" said April. She looked down and read the address. "123456 Strada Principale, Venezia. Ok, I know for a fact there is no 123456 Strada Principale in Venice. My grandparents live there. I visit them every summer."

"Look, right next to it. There's another one with the same address and another one" said Zack.

"Looks like we found the loot." Ivy was feeling satisfied with herself.

"I'd hate to burst your bubble Sis. This is Carmen Sandiego we're dealing with and this seems a little bit too easy. I bet she put these here to throw us a curve ball. She's got to have the real Tut. "

"So where's her cabin?" asked Steve.

"There's an information book about the train on our table. I remember flipping through it when we were still at the station. It tells about the overall history and of each carriage" April said.

"And knowing Carmen she would have chosen to stay in the most elaborate and important sleeping car herself" Ivy said. She was already out the door.

They made their way back to their room and began reading about the history of the train. A few minutes passed and Ivy knocked on the wall. She had found a car and wanted to know if Steve and Zack agreed. Sleeping Car 3309 is the oldest car that dates back to 1926. It's marquetry is considered Art Deco. The response was "Yes." The decision was to wait 3 hours after dinner service to explore the sleeping car. Until then they decided to get some rest, as they would have a long night ahead of them.

(Three hours after dinner service)

Once again, they checked the two dining cars and came up empty handed. The meal was divine, and thanks to Zack's new wine palette their dinner was perfectly paired. The car was quiet. Curtains were drawn and only the dim hall light was alive, as passenger settled down for bed. Zack and April took one end and Ivy and Steve took the other. They took out their stethoscopes and listened at the door. Their first attempts didn't prove to be helpful. Then Zack heard something interesting. It sounded like a bunch of people talking. He motioned for his partners to join him.

"I think we're gonna make it Carmen."

"Don't jinx us Sybil" said Earl. He was rubbing his hands along his pants, trying to wipe of the sweat off. "I want to go to sleep so I can get up early."

"Oh, Earl, you're such a party-pooper" said Minnie.

"Alright, listen up. I know there has been some concern about the, let's say, none breathing room of this job, but remember stick with the plan and no one gets caught. Also, to ease minds I'm carrying the real Tut bust. One last thing, I want to tell you all that you're doing a wonderful job. "

There was a round of "Thanks Carmen."

Zack could hear them coming towards the door. He motioned for the others to run.

"That was close" April said to Ivy.

The bottom and top beds were made and turned down. The pillows looked inviting, but they still had too much to do. Knocking was heard on the wall.

"I found Carmen's room. It sounded like she was talking to her henchmen. She has the Tut bust." April translated the message.

Ivy knocked back, "We need to find a way to switch it. Any ideas?"

5 minutes went by, and the knocking started again.

"Yes, Steve has a plan. He says they'll be back and not to worry."

Ivy and April waited a very long hour. They played a traveling board game to pass the time. The knocking started.

"Success, we got the bust."

"How did you manage that?"

"Zack stole all the toilet paper out of the bathroom. I rang for the Cabin Steward and picked his pocket. We went into the freight car and got a fake bust. Zack snuck into Carmen's other room and switched it."

"How did you guys know it was empty?"

"Carmen is staying in a double room cabin."

(Next Day)

Breakfast was just as good as lunch and dinner. Zack didn't have much to say, since he was too tired. No activity from Carmen or her henchmen, which didn't surprise the detectives.

"Were can they be?" asked Steve.

Minnie Series made her Orient Express debut with poor Earl E. Bird shuffling behind her carrying boutique bags.

"Come on, Earl quit being a slow poke. I want to get back to my cabin. Being around my public has exhausted me and I want to show Sybil what I bought. I know she'll be jealous."

Earl mumbled to himself and dragged behind Minnie.

"They didn't even see us" said Zack.

Making sure there was enough distance they got up and followed the two henchmen. They went past Carmen's cabin into the next Sleeping Car 3425. Minnie opened a door. Earl took in the bags, then came out and walked to his cabin a ways down and went in.

"Ok, where are Sybil and Justin?" whispered Ivy.

"I think Minnie has a double cabin like Carmen's and Sybil is in the next one. Remember she wanted to get back and show Sybil what she bought" April whispered back.

Then Justin came out of the middle cabin and walked towards the lavatory.

"Ha! Now we know where everyone's at" Steve said

(Santa Lucia Train Station – Venice, Italy)

The train rolled into the train station. Steve had the bust cradled in his arms. They were greeted by Interpol. Ivy presented them with the warrants and gave them the carriage information. Steve and an Interpol agent went into the train station to examine the bust. April gave another agent the information about the packages in the freight car. A string of passengers were emerging from each sleeping car. The whole platform was buzzing with activity like a beehive. It was hard to make out the henchmen, until Zack spotted Minnie Series. She had Sybil, Justin and Earl taking flash photos of her posing as she came out of the car. The agent gave the signal and the henchmen were surrounded. They failed to spot Carmen who came out of the next car wearing her signature colors walking with some Cabin Stewards.


	8. Chapter 8 The Chief

After 20 long minutes Interpol came out of Carmen's car empty handed, except for one who had a letter in his hand. When Zack, Ivy and April saw them without Carmen they hung their heads.

"She got away?" yelled Zack. "Are you kidding me?"

"It's addressed to ACME" the agent said and handed it to Ivy.

She unfolded it and read it out loud, "I applaud your effort to capture me, detectives. But let me give you some words of advice. To catch something impossible make sure you first thought out ALL the possibilities…see you next crime."

The Lead Interpol agent, Station Master and Steve appeared. Zack seized the opportunity to talk to the Station Master. He and Zack went into his office. Steve and the Lead Agent remained on the platform.

"We've confirmed that the bust was concealed within a fake one. Thank you ACME detectives for your assistance on this case." He shook each of their hands then joined his colleagues.

5 minutes later Zack came out. "You're not going to believe this. I saw the surveillance video. Carmen walked out right in front of us. She was right behind the cabin stewards."

"That's just great" said Steve.

"The Chief isn't going to be happy about this" April said.

"Tell me about it" Ivy sighed.

All four detectives stood on the platform watching Interpol take Carmen's henchmen away. They felt relief and remorse about finishing the case.

~ ACME HQ ~

A day and a half later the tired detectives returned to San Francisco with one day to rest before their appointment with the Chief the following morning.

"Now I want to discuss what went wrong on the case" she paced back and forth in front of them.

The detectives sat straight up in their chairs, their hands folded on their laps.

"First, we get a call about King Tut's bust missing from Cairo. Correct?"

They nod.

"I assigned the case to Ivy and Zack, who are the most experienced detectives. Correct?"

They nod.

"We find out that there are four henchmen involved. I send Steve and April for assistance along with the warrants. Correct?"

They nod again.

"I am provided with the last location information and relay that to Interpol. They agree to rendezvous with you at the last train stop in Venice. I then get a call from our sponsoring agency demanding for an update as they hear we're so close to catching Carmen. I tell them we're going to nab her this time. I mean how hard it is for someone to escape from a bunch of boxes?"

The detectives look at each other.

"Which brings us back to why we're all here" she smiles. "Tell me how did she escape again?" The Chief was eerily calm.

Ivy cleared her throat, "She", sigh, "…escaped by walking out with the cabin stewards who were dressed in their red uniforms…" her voice trailed off.

"Walked out with the stewards." The Chief nodded. "So it was that simple." She threw her hands in the air out of exasperation. "So simple, in fact, none of you thought of it." Her voice boomed. "Now I have to explain to our sponsor, again, how we failed to catch her."

The detectives hung their heads.

~ACME HQ, A month later~

Zack, Ivy, Steve and April had recovered from their incident with the Chief. April and Steve were on a CrimeNet assignment. Zack and Ivy had just closed their separate cases. The Chief was in her office sorting through a pile of Monday's mail.

"I need to get an assistant" she mumbled.

She opened each one envelope, scanned its contents then placed it in it respective attention severity pile. Seeing an envelope from the credit card company was enough to make her stop. Raising an eyebrow she carefully opened it. The letter opener slowly tore through each strand of paper fabric. She carefully took it out, as if it was going to bite her.

Her eyes read each line item then widened as they settled on the total of almost $9000.00.

"They didn't tell me how much it cost to ride the Orient Express!" Expletives raced through her mind. "If this is part of Carmen's twisted plan to bankrupt ACME so we wouldn't have the funds to chase her, then I'd say its working."

"Zack! Ivy! Get in here!" she shouted with her eyes closed. She got up and paced behind her desk, mumbling to herself. "Oh the sponsor is going to love this one, especially when I have to ask for another budget extension." To calm her nerves she stared at the window, looking at the ocean and horizon.

Both detectives cowered in.

"Sit down" she snapped, still admiring the scenery.

"I received the credit card bill today." Her voice was relatively calm making the gumshoes more nervous. "I was appalled when I saw how much you spent. Can either of you provide an explanation?" Her eyes still focused outside.

Zack mouthed to his sister, "You do it."

Ivy mouthed back, "No you."

"I'm waiting"

Zack insisted. Ivy mouthed an explicit adjective at her brother. He sat back in his chair smiling smugly.

"We had no choice Chief. Carmen and her henchmen were on board" Ivy said nervously.

"I see, what about the clothes?"

"Well, if we didn't buy appropriate clothing we would've stuck out like four sore thumbs." Ivy was wringing her hands.

The Chief didn't say anything. The silence and anticipation for her next words was torture.

"I want the clothing retuned, as they are now ACME property."

"Yes Ma'am" Ivy said.

"Zack?"

He cleared his throat, "Yes Ma'am." His smug smile was gone.

"I'll notify Steve and April when they return." She finally turned around. "If you ever make charges like this again" Zack was going to say something, the Chief drowned him out "EVEN if Carmen is going on a luxury cruise you better find an alternative. Got it?"

They both nodded. The Chief dismissed them with her hands, watched them leave then closed her office door. She went to her desk".

"Carmen sure thinks very highly of herself traveling around the world in luxury style." She took out four darts. "Who does she think runs this agency King Midas? One way or another, we're putting you behind bars Carmen."

The Chief swung around and threw a dart at the dartboard that hung on the back of her door with a picture of Carmen on it. The dart settled in the bullseye.


End file.
